Album Review: The Eskies – After the Sherry Went Round

After the Sherry Went Round is the debut album from Irish alt-folk-gypsy-gentleman’s club The Eskies. The Eskies are a band who have taken their sweet time to make their album, making sure that every note and chord is as polished as can be. Their last EP was released back in 2012 and they have been working hard gigging and writing ever since and thankfully 2016 has finally seen the fruits of their labours.

The Eskies are quite frankly one of the most stunning and versatile bands that we have ever come across. They have created themselves a peculiar amalgamation of music from a variety of musical influences from across the world and the ages. They have created a thin and blurry line that meanders through folk, gypsy, alternative, indie, rock, vaudeville, jazz and even ska. Not only do they tread this incredibly thin line with ease but they virtually waltz their way down it, a skip in every step as they blast out their playful, jubilant songs with a flourish.

Their music is easily more addictive than cigarettes and thankfully so much healthier for you. It’s rife with bold, brazen brass blasts that are accompanied with big, booming drumbeats, raging guitar medleys, deep, thrumbling bass and dancing mandolin tunes. They have a rich and joyous playful nature to their every song. Songs such as Jesus Don’t Save Me are a wonderful, playfully blasphemous medley that you can’t help but smile throughout. They are loud, brazen and decadent – they sound like a band who could burst into your house at full blast in the middle of the night and rather than call the police you’d simply have no choice but to cheer and dance.

Topping off their amazing music however is the fact that the group is lead by a rich, deep and husky voice that bursts to life in each and every song as loud and brash as the trumpets that accompany him. As if he couldn’t carry their incredible sound on his own the rest of the band frequently join in with some of the most amazing and deeply resonant harmonies.

The Eskies sound both contemporary and totally timeless. It’s almost as if they’ve been around since the 20s just defying the aging process and over the decades they’ve just taken the bits they like from every genre and have made it into something that is totally their own. They are easily one of the most impressive bands we have seen this year.